The Road Trip Diary of Six Teens Traveling to San Francisco
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: It was originally four of them. Then Squirrelflight invited herself and Feathertail invited Crowfeather. It's going to be a long trip. Hopefully the diary entries can help them understand each other.
1. On My Way

_**Day 1—Squirrelflight**_

 _If there is one thing I hate more than anything else, it's when someone says I can't do something._

 _You can't stay up until midnight; you have school tomorrow._

 _You can't go outside; it's raining._

 _You can't join the school's baseball team; it's boys only._

 _You can't hang out with him; he's going to get you in trouble._

 _You can't leave home to go on a summer road trip with your friends; you're only sixteen._

 _Bullshit._

 _It's all bullshit._

 _So that's how I ended up squished in the backseat of Brambleclaw's car, sitting next to the only other kid my age. Crowfeather is an annoying brat who's only tagging along because he and Feathertail are friends and she refused to leave him out. Stormfur and Tawnypelt are coming along because their respective siblings are, and they refuse to be separated._

 _I guess I should explain what's going on, huh?_

 _My name is Squirrelflight. I'm sixteen years old and I'm from ThunderClan Township. My dad's actually in charge of the whole thing; his name is Firestar. Everyone says I look like him—bright red hair, green eyes, pale skin. Well, more specifically, I look like a perfect mix of him and my mom. I have Mom's pretty face but Dad's overall coloring. My sister, Leafpool, has brown hair and amber eyes, but she's got Mom's face, too. She and I have always been close, but lately, something's been going on. We don't talk much, and Mom and Dad have been policing me way more than usual. I'm talking about asking for all my passwords, putting in a strict 10 PM curfew, and tracking my phone._

 _I don't know what's going on, but it's annoying as hell._

 _Anyway, after a month of that, I decided to go on the road-trip Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt had planned with Stormfur and Feathertail. Brambleclaw was completely against me coming, but Tawnypelt, Stormfur, and Feathertail were all for it, so yay! I left a note for my parents, telling them not to worry and that I would be back in a month. Leafpool knows I'm going. She figured it out before I even told her what was happening. She's creepy and cool at the same time like that, but she gave me a gift after I told her—this journal. She suggested that I keep a travel diary, and that I should get the rest of the group to write in it too._

 _So… I don't know what else to say, really. We're three hours into the trip from Maine to San Francisco and I've done nothing but take a nap, listen to music, and write in this journal. I'm definitely taking Leafpool's suggestion of getting everyone else to write in it. It's… oddly calming. To be honest, we all have a reason for taking this trip. Mine is to get away from my family, just for a little while. I promised Leafpool that I'd send her a postcard whenever we stopped somewhere, so that's going to be interesting. I'm not sure what everyone else's are, but I'm sure they'll write them down. This is supposed to be some kind of bonding experience, right?_

 _I guess I should give my thoughts on my traveling companions, then. Just first impressions and things like that, nothing big._

 _Let's start with Tawnypelt, because she's honestly my best friend besides my sister. She's seventeen, a year older than I am, and one of the coolest people I know. Her hair is dyed orange, black, and white, which you think would look totally weird but looks amazing on her. It accents her eyes, which are as green as mine. She was born in ThunderClan Township, but she moved to ShadowClan Township in an effort to be closer to her dad. I guess that's a big part of the reason she's so cool—she just does things without worrying about what other people will think._

 _Onto Stormfur. I don't know much about him. He's eighteen with dark gray hair and golden eyes and you'd_ **think** _he'd be this tough guy who plays sports and picks on other kids, but he's a real sweetheart from what I've seen so far. He opened the car door for me when he saw that I was struggling with my suitcase and car-bag, so I know chivalry isn't completely dead. I guess I'll learn more about him as we go, but he's a real gentle giant. He's also pretty cheerful, which I'm sure will be a benefit down the line. Tawnypelt told us that it's a forty-nine hour drive to San Francisco and we'll need a lighter mood once we hit the Midwest._

 _Next up is Feathertail. Like Stormfur, she's eighteen—in fact, they're twins! Their dad is my dad's best friend. According to Graystripe (their dad), she looks just like her mom—slender and pretty, with long silver hair and blue eyes. Pretty girls like her make me nervous because in every high school movie, it's pretty girls like her who try to dump pig's blood on girls like me. But, no. Feathertail is probably one of the nicest people I know. She and Stormfur were born in ThunderClan Township, like Tawnypelt, Brambleclaw, and me, but they live with their grandfather in RiverClan Township now. I know it makes their dad really sad, but they visit as often as they can._

 _As for Crowfeather, I don't know much about him, either. We're in the same grade, but he's pretty closed-off to most people. He has dark gray—almost black—hair and blue eyes. I know for a fact that he runs track at school and he's one of the fastest people on the team. As a result, I know a bunch of girls have crushes on him, but I don't get it. From what little interaction we've had, he's rude, standoffish, and quiet. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we weren't shoved in the back together, but as it stands, I'm not looking forward to sitting next to him._

 _Finally, let's talk about Brambleclaw. He's pretty tall, with dark brown hair and amber eyes that kind of remind me of Leafpool's. I've known him and Tawnypelt since they were kids. I know he's had it rough, but that doesn't excuse being a pain to me! He treats me like I'm six instead of sixteen. Like I said earlier, he was the one person in our group who was completely against me going on the trip. Tawnypelt said it's because he's afraid of my dad finding out. I find that idea weird because despite the fact that Brambleclaw's father is an absolute fucking_ **asshole** _and hates my dad, Dad's always kind of liked Brambleclaw, to be honest._

 _So, yeah. We're six teenagers going from Maine to San Francisco and back over the next month with no parental supervision. As someone who's never gone any farther from home than Boston, this is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see more than I ever have before!_

 _-Squirrelflight._

* * *

Squirrelflight set down the travel diary on the seat next to her. It was the only thing separating her and Crowfeather, which she was grateful for.

"What's that?" Crowfeather asked her.

"A travel diary. Leafpool said I should keep one and get the rest of you to write in it."

"Uh, no!" called Brambleclaw from the passenger seat. "And a hell no!"

"You're no _fun_. Isn't this trip supposed to be a bonding experience?"

"Yeah, it could be fun to get all our thoughts down throughout the trip," Feathertail agreed.

The car they were traveling in was a van with four rows of seating. Currently, Tawnypelt was driving and Brambleclaw was riding shotgun. In the second row of seats was Stormfur and Feathertail, along with the Bag of Snacks (as Squirrelflight had dubbed it, earning a groan from Brambleclaw). Row three consisted of Squirrelflight and Crowfeather. As for the back row, it was full of their luggage, tents, and sleeping bags. The six planned to spend as little money as possible on the trip, intending to camp when they could.

"I'm open to it," Tawnypelt admitted.

"Can we play my music now?" Squirrelflight asked.

"Set it up and pass up your phone."

"What's happening?" Brambleclaw asked.

"I'm letting Squirrelflight take over music for an hour. She spent days making a playlist for the trip, so it's the least I can let her do."

"Here!" Squirrelflight handed her phone to Feathertail, who passed it up to Brambleclaw. He reluctantly plugged it in and pressed play. Soft guitar music filtered through the speakers before a man began singing.

" _Tell everybody I'm on my way. New friends and new places to see!"_ Squirrelflight joined in.

 _"With blue skies ahead, yes, I'm on my way! And there's nowhere else where I'd rather be!"_ Feathertail and Stormfur decided to sing along, too, as did Tawnypelt.

 _"Tell everybody I'm on my way. And I'm lovin' every step I take! With the sun beating down, yes, I'm on my way! And I can't keep this smile off my face!_ "

Brambleclaw was beaten by the infectious combination of Squirrelflight being cute, Tawnypelt actually _singing in the car_ , and the beauty of a Disney song. He was powerless to fend against it, which made him give up and join in. Crowfeather did, too, once he saw how much fun everyone else was having.

That night, they ended up going into a wooded area, where they set up their tents and made a fire, swapping stories about their respective lives. Squirrelflight ended up telling a story about the time she'd tried to sneak out of the house when she was six and had been caught by her mother. Sandstorm had thought it was funny, but that didn't stop her from withholding dessert from her daughter for a week following the incident. The redhead was giggling in a way that made Brambleclaw want to sit next to her, but he refrained.

 _If anything happens to her, it's_ **your** _ass on a platter. You're the only one on this trip that her dad really knows and the only one who lives in ThunderClan Township. He will make you miserable if you touch his daughter._

And thus, day one of the trip to San Francisco drew to a close.


	2. Driving and Worrying

_**Day 2—Feathertail**_

 _This trip is so much fun! I'm glad Stormfur and I came up with this idea! Also, I'm glad that Leafpool sent along this diary. It'll be great to write things down._

 _Right now, I'm in the third row of the van with Crowfeather. Squirrelflight wanted to sit in the passenger seat today, so Brambleclaw is driving. Tawnypelt is sitting with Stormfur. None of us really trust Squirrelflight not to eat all the food in the Snack Bag, so she won't be sitting in the second row_ **ever** _. She complained at first, but then she admitted that it was true, so that was that._

 _I read Squirrelflight's first entry and let me just say that for someone so restless, she has a way with words. She doesn't have the full story, though, when it comes to the reasons for this trip. I guess it's up to me to write!_

 _Stormfur and I graduated high school two weeks ago, but before that, we'd discussed taking a trip. We wanted to see more before we headed off to our respective next steps—he's going directly into the workforce, while I'm going to college. It's our last summer before real life starts, and we wanted to enjoy it. I suggested we take a cross-country road-trip, which he whole-heartedly agreed to. It didn't feel right as just the two of us, so we invited Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw along. Somehow, Squirrelflight overheard and asked if she could go, too. I could tell she was suffocating at home; her parents had been acting strangely for a while beforehand. Then I asked Crowfeather to come along so that we would have balanced numbers. Plus, he's a nice guy who needs to come out of his shell a bit._

 _That's how the trip came together._

 _My dad and grandfather disagreed on letting us go. Dad said that we were young and that we needed to be allowed to explore, while Grandpa insisted that we'd be leaving home soon enough and didn't need to go gallivanting across the country. He relented once I pointed out that Stormfur and I weren't going alone, though, so he's not quite as strict as he seems!_

 _Yesterday we left on the trip, and so far, it's been pretty uneventful. Although, I guess Squirrelflight will catch hell from her parents once we come home. She didn't get permission to come on this trip like the rest of us. Even Crowfeather got permission from his mother, who agreed that he needed to spend some time socializing._

 _Oh, Squirrelflight's playing music again. More Disney this time. I don't care what some people say; Disney music is fun to sing along to and therefore perfect for a road-trip. There's not really much to report, I'm afraid!_

 _-Feathertail._

* * *

"Can you _please_ turn down the music?" groaned Brambleclaw in the driver's seat. "I need to concentrate."

"Fine." Squirrelflight turned it down a bit. "Disney music is meant to be blasted, you know."

"No, it's meant to be in the background."

"Hmph." She crossed her arms. "Do you think I can drive next?"

"No," all the older teens in the car stated in unison.

"You don't have a license," pointed out Brambleclaw. "I'm not letting an unlicensed driver take over."

"I have a permit. And I need to gain experience, anyway."

"Just because you have a permit doesn't mean we're going to let you drive."

"I don't know much about driving, really. Dad stopped teaching me about the same time he and Mom cracked down on my lifestyle. I was hoping one of you could teach me."

Brambleclaw suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment. He kept forgetting the biggest reason that Squirrelflight was out on the trip with them: her family's sudden need to keep her at home as much as possible. Of _course_ she wanted to learn to drive; it would give her more freedom than she currently had.

"I could teach her," offered Tawnypelt. "I don't think Brambleclaw has the patience."

"I have the patience!" he insisted. "Let's… let's just wait until we're farther along. And off the interstate; it's impossible to drive here if you don't have experience."

"That's fair," Feathertail agreed. Crowfeather nodded in the back.

"I have a permit, too, but I have some driving experience," he stated. "A lot more than Squirrelflight, at least."

Laughter broke out, making the trip much more light-hearted.

* * *

 _ **Day 1 & 2—Leafpool**_

 _I know this isn't conventional, but this is a two-day entry. And I'm not writing the date because I'm just keeping track of the days Squirrelflight is gone. She's my sister, my twin, and my other half, and I'm worried about her. So are Mom and Dad, but I guess I should start with the whole story._

 _I figured out a week ago that Squirrelflight was going somewhere. I heard her ask Mom and Dad for permission to go on a trip with some friends, and, given their recent crackdown on her life, they said no. She was really upset, but she didn't let that stop her. I went in her room while she was sleeping and saw that she was packing a duffel bag. I knew that she was going on that trip, with or without Mom and Dad's permission. The next day, I went down to the bookstore and bought a journal—nothing too fancy, just an inch-thick orange and yellow book. It's about the size of a composition book, so I knew it would be perfect for her. I hid it under my pillow and waited._

 _Then, yesterday, Squirrelflight came into my room before 5 AM. She told me that she was leaving and I gave her the journal, telling her I'd already figured that out. I told her that the journal was a travel diary to keep track of the trip, and she seemed very grateful that I wasn't trying to stop her. I knew that was pointless. She'd go whether approved or not. We hugged each other, then she told me that she'd left a note for Mom and Dad before promising to send me postcards throughout her trip. It was then that we said goodbye and she left the house._

 _Needless to say, Dad was really scared and upset when he found her note. Here's what it said._

 _ **Dear Mom and Dad,**_

 _ **I know by now you must be freaking out because I'm gone. But don't worry about it. I'm fine and I'll be back in a month, I promise. If something happens, I'll give you a call. I just can't be at the house right now; it's too stifling. I need to go out and stretch my wings, figure out who I am and all that. I'm not alone, though—I'm with Tawnypelt, Stormfur, Feathertail, Crowfeather, and Brambleclaw. None of them are going to let anything bad happen to me. I'll miss you, and I'll call you once we're a couple days in. Gotta save my phone battery, you know?**_

 _ **I love you and miss you already!**_

 _ **Love, Squirrelflight.**_

 _He and Mom started worrying immediately that maybe they'd been too hard in how they were policing Squirrelflight's life. A big part of it was the fact that Squirrelflight appeared to have a crush on Brambleclaw. Despite the fact that Dad liked Brambleclaw as a person, he went into panic mode trying to protect Squirrelflight. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her, especially once it seemed like Brambleclaw returned her feelings somewhat. A lot of what he did was in effort to keep her and Brambleclaw apart._

 _And of course they went off together; Squirrelflight hates following orders._

 _That all happened yesterday. Today, Mom and Dad are pretty quiet. Mom's been wandering around the house, half-heartedly mumbling to herself. Dad's taking it harder, though, since I haven't seen him since dinner last night. Apparently (according to Graystripe, at least) he locked himself in his office. Part of me wants to call Squirrelflight and tell her to come home, but the other part of me says she needs to do this. Neither of us have gone any further from home than Boston, and now she has a chance to go all the way to California? Wow!_

 _I kind of envy her, actually._

 _-Leafpool._

* * *

The phone rang during dinner. Firestar jumped from his chair and grabbed it, hoping it was his wayward daughter. And his hopes were answered, so he put it on speakerphone.

" _Hey, guys!_ " Squirrelflight chirped through the phone.

"You are in _so much_ trouble when you get home," Firestar told her.

" _Yeah, I figured as much."_

"Where are you right now?" Sandstorm inquired.

 _"I think we're somewhere in either Ohio or West Virginia. I don't know; I fell asleep when Feathertail turned on classical music."_

"We're glad you're safe, sweetheart, but maybe don't scare us next time."

"Next time? She's not leaving home again until college," Firestar stated bluntly. Squirrelflight laughed.

 _"Brambleclaw said the same thing yesterday when I mentioned that I didn't get permission to come—that you wouldn't let me out again until college."_

"How's the trip going?" Leafpool asked, hoping to alleviate some of the awkwardness.

 _"Actually kind of boring. We've mostly been sticking to the interstate, except for when we stop to sleep for the night. Then we find a side road and set up. It's safe because we have a system. Oh, and Tawnypelt's teaching me how to drive."_

"Once you come home and you're no longer grounded, I'll teach you the finer points," Firestar promised. "For now, just stay safe and call us when you can."

 _"Every other day. Everybody in the group's doing it. That way you can keep track of us."_

"We miss you!" Sandstorm and Leafpool chimed.

 _"I miss you guys, too! Brambleclaw won't let me completely handle the music in the car and it's unfair! I love you guys! Good night!"_

"Good night," her family replied.

 _Click._

Firestar settled into his chair, looking relieved.

"She's really okay," he mumbled.

"Brambleclaw won't let anything happen to her," Leafpool assured him. "He cares about her, even if he doesn't want to admit it. They're the most stubborn people I know."

Her parents smiled; their little girl would be okay.


	3. Fries and Friendship

_**Day 3—Brambleclaw**_

 _This is so stupid. I can't believe Squirrelflight's making me do this._

 _Yeah, so we're on this trip. Right now we're actually entering the Midwest and it's kind of shitty. As soon as we crossed the Illinois state line, it started raining buckets. Squirrelflight got all fidgety; she hates rain. I swear to fucking God, this girl is more cat than human._

 _TAKE THAT BACK, BRAMBLECLAW!_

 _Sorry, she snatched the journal. The benefit of being pushed into the backseat while Feathertail drives and Crowfeather takes the passenger seat. I'm stuck next to her because Tawnypelt wanted the second row and so did Stormfur. Also, I drew the short straw._

 _So far, nothing's really happened other than me starting to teach Squirrelflight how to drive. She's overeager, as always, but it's kind of_ _cute_ _endearing in a weird way. She didn't even come close to crashing the van, which is good because it has to get us the rest of the way to California and back. You know, she might actually get her license when we get back home, after she's done being grounded for all eternity._

 _I'm looking forward to reaching California. I've wanted to go there for years now. I even used to have dreams about the ocean. When Stormfur and Feathertail invited me and Tawnypelt along for the ride, I was excited to go. I was slightly less excited when Squirrelflight said she was coming along because her dad had been cracking down on everything about her life—social media, curfew, what friends she could have. It's definitely weird, because he was never like that before. He used to let me stay at their house a lot while he taught me things that my dad refused to—how to win an argument, when to back down, even how to hunt. Firestar's a really nice guy, but I kind of get how he's making Squirrelflight feel._

 _The rain's letting up a bit, but everything looks dreary still. Squirrelflight's humming to herself. Tawnypelt's taking a nap and so is Stormfur. Crowfeather and Feathertail are just talking in the front seat. It's actually kind of peaceful, in a cozy kind of way. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea for there to be six of us instead of the original four that were supposed to come._

 _-Brambleclaw._

* * *

Brambleclaw shut the journal and put it back into Squirrelflight's bag. The redhead was starting to nod off a bit, lulled by the sound of rain hitting the roof of the van. Her green eyes shut and she fell asleep, her body leaning against Brambleclaw's. She was warm and soft, he noted, but she didn't smell too great. None of them did, given that it had been a couple of days since they showered. He ignored it, though, in favor of letting her sleep.

"You okay, Brambleclaw?" Tawnypelt asked, looking over the back of her seat. She glanced at Squirrelflight and smirked. "She _is_ pretty cute, isn't she?"

"You'll wake her up!"

"Sure. Maybe. You two just look good together. Once we get back, maybe the two of you can start dating or something."

"As if her dad would let me after this!"

"He likes you, Bramble. But he's only got two daughters that he loves a lot. Good dads protect their families. Her dad is a good dad."

"I have to agree with you there."

Squirrelflight clutched his arm and mumbled in her sleep. His face turned bright red in embarrassment.

 _Okay, so what if I like you a little bit? Your dad's never going to let me be with you. You're beautiful and smart and funny, and I'm a fucking mess. All anyone sees when they look at me is my father. But you… you don't have that legacy of blood and murder behind you. Your family is made up entirely of good people and it's not split up like mine._

 _Maybe you'll help me fix that._

He let her stay there until they pulled over at a gas station to refuel. She woke up as the van came to a stop, then noticed where she was sleeping.

"This didn't happen!" she hissed, shoving him away from her.

"Did you know you drool when you sleep?"

"Shut up!"

"Listen, I'm willing to forget this. It's Tawnypelt you have to convince. Especially since she took a picture." Squirrelflight turned bright pink and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Where are you going?"

"To steal Tawnypelt's phone so I can delete the picture."

"She said she'd get you a burger with the works if you let her keep it. And she'll get the large fries and shake for you, too." She narrowed her eyes and sat back down.

"Fine… I'll let her keep the picture."

He smirked and she smacked his arm in retaliation.

"Don't you _dare_ tell anybody about this!"

* * *

 _ **Day 3—Leafpool**_

 _It's been three days since Squirrelflight left and last night's phone call has set Mom and Dad more at ease. Dad's still not pleased that she left, but he's not blaming himself as much. After all, she'll be home in less than a month and I know she's expecting the blowup that's going to happen when she comes back. Mom joked that maybe this trip will make Squirrelflight grow up a little bit. I have to agree on that. You can't go all the way across the country and_ **not** _mature a little. I just know she's going to be a bit of a different person when she does come home. Hopefully not too different; I still want my sister, after all!_

 _Anyway, I began my first-aid training today. I'm hoping to become a doctor someday, and the lady who's running the course is really nice! Her name is Cinderpelt and she's an old friend of my dad's. When she found out I was his daughter, she said she hoped I was as kind and stubborn as he was. Not just anybody could become as beloved a politician as he was. Around him, people don't even make the typical jokes you hear about politicians. Instead, they talk about what a legitimately great person he is. I hope people like me as much as him when I get to be his age._

 _There's another girl at the first-aid training named Mothwing. She's super nice and really pretty, with golden hair and eyes that seem to see into my soul. Apparently, she just moved to RiverClan Township last winter with her brother, Hawkfrost. I met him today when he came to pick her up and I don't like him. He looks like Tigerstar. I know Brambleclaw does, too, but Hawkfrost is different. He has a different…_ **feel** _to him for lack of a better word. His eyes are this pale blue color that makes me feel like a deer in headlights, like he's judging me every time his eyes land on me. He's also really rude to his sister, but Mothwing says it's fine. I don't trust that._

 _Hopefully, Mothwing will be more open later on…_

 _—Leafpool._

* * *

"I'm telling you, Mudfur's a _great_ teacher!"

"I didn't say I doubted it!" Leafpool smiled as she and Mothwing sat outside The Four Trees, which was essentially the best place to hang out and get a bite to eat with some friends, especially if your friend lived in another Township. "I just said that maybe we should check out some tips for first aid online!"

"Oh, right." Mothwing settled down, adjusting one of her low pigtails. "How's your sister?"

"She's due for a call tomorrow night. I'm excited to hear the updates. What about your brother?"

"He's been spending a lot of time with Dad lately. Mom's just glad I'm staying home instead of trying to one-up my brother."

"Sibling rivalry is a real thing."

"I know!" Mothwing stole a fry from Leafpool's tray and popped it in her mouth. "I think he's trying to compete with Brambleclaw."

"Brambleclaw? They know each other?"

"Oh, you don't know…" She cleared her throat. "Hawkfrost and I—we're Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt's half-siblings. Our father is Tigerstar."

"Whoa! Why don't you live in ShadowClan Township, then?"

"Mom wanted us to be near the water. And her relationship with Dad wasn't exactly… loving. He didn't really care about her."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up…"

"It's especially clear that he only told her there were other Townships so he could be close to Hawkfrost. The only thing he's done for Mom—besides giving her us—is pay for Tadpole's hospital bills."

"Wait, who's Tadpole?"

"My other brother. He almost drowned last winter; we came to the Townships because of the hospital and because Tigerstar said to. Tadpole's been unconscious since before we got here." Her face fell and Leafpool put a hand on her arm.

"I'm so sorry, Mothwing."

"It's fine. It feels good to get it all off my chest." She wiped at her eye before stealing another fry. Leafpool made a mock-grumpy face.

"If you wanted fries, you could've ordered some."

"They taste better when I steal them from a friend."

* * *

 **Day 3: over!**

 **It's taking a while to write these entries. I apologize for the wait!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
